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Going 24 hours without sleep can lead a healthy person to display symptoms similar to schizophrenia, German and British scientists say.

The researchers had 24 healthy subjects from both genders between the ages of 18 and 40 sleep normally at a sleep lab. A week later, they were kept awake all night then asked about their thoughts and feelings.

They also underwent a prepulse inhibition test, which measures the filtering function of the brain.

"Filters separate what is important from what is not important and prevent sensory overload," researcher Nadine Petrovsky said in a press release.

The filtering function was significantly reduced after people were kept awake 24 hours. As well, participants reported being more sensitive to light or colour, their senses of smell and time were affected and some claimed they could read thoughts.

Researcher Ulrich Ettinger said they "did not expect that the symptoms could be so pronounced after one night."